The 2022-2023 Season Thread

[Chicat]

I like the Terry/Walton comparison. Neither guy really scares defenses with their straight line drives. Walton used to angle his drives, stop, switch to a post-up and then hit turnaround 15ft jumpers. I’d love to see Terry add something like that to his game. If he can reliably create for himself, his passing will become even more effective because teams will have that uncertainty of whether he’s going to take the shot or if he’s setting up a cutter on the other side of the lane.

[Beachcat97]

I like the Terry/Walton comparison. Neither guy really scares defenses with their straight line drives. Walton used to angle his drives, stop, switch to a post-up and then hit turnaround 15ft jumpers. I’d love to see Terry add something like that to his game. If he can reliably create for himself, his passing will become even more effective because teams will have that uncertainty of whether he’s going to take the shot or if he’s setting up a cutter on the other side of the lane.

Totally. And Terry is much more athletic than Walton ever was. Walton stuck in the NBA for a lot of years as a glue guy. Imagine a faster, more athletic version of that, and you've pretty much got Terry's NBA potential. He'll be a starter eventually.

[Chicat]

And Terry is much more athletic than Walton ever was.

I mean, maybe a little. But Terry isn’t a guy who is jumping out of the gym blocking shots, nor is he exceptionally strong or fast. I think the athleticism gap between Terry and Mathurin is bigger than the gap between him and Walton.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I like the Terry/Walton comparison. Neither guy really scares defenses with their straight line drives. Walton used to angle his drives, stop, switch to a post-up and then hit turnaround 15ft jumpers. I’d love to see Terry add something like that to his game. If he can reliably create for himself, his passing will become even more effective because teams will have that uncertainty of whether he’s going to take the shot or if he’s setting up a cutter on the other side of the lane.

That's why I'd tossed it out. Terry and Walton, if they have a lane, they can use it, but defenses aren't scared that a tiny gap and this happens:

[AzCatFan2]

Just a note. Remember, the 3-point line when RJ was playing was 19'9". It's now at international distance, 22'.175". Doesn't make a huge difference, but it's not really fair to compare 3-point percentages between eras. When the 3-point line first moved from 19'9", the percentage made dropped .8% across all of college basketball.

As for D Terry, he reminds more of Iggy than any other player. DT just needs more muscle. Terry is more athletic than Walton, but not in the same league as RJ. Iggy was never a leading scorer type of guy, but a glue guy that filled up stat sheets every night. That's Terry. Iggy was 6'6" and 215 pounds. DT is 6'7" and listed at 190. If DT can get to 205 to 210, he'll be NBA ready for sure.

[Beachcat97]

And Terry is much more athletic than Walton ever was.

I mean, maybe a little. But Terry isn’t a guy who is jumping out of the gym blocking shots, nor is he exceptionally strong or fast. I think the athleticism gap between Terry and Mathurin is bigger than the gap between him and Walton.

Mathurin is in that "freak" category. I never saw Walton dunk or finish the way Terry did at times this season. Mathurin is a freak, Terry is a high-level athlete, and Walton was a Swiss army knife with sufficient athleticism. Walton did not make it as a pro because of his athleticism. He made it because of his IQ and reliability. Terry is also a far better defender than Walton ever was.

Anyway, I've digressed into a more general comparison of the players. I will say this: it's pretty exciting to have a player we can even *compare* to Walton, who I consider an all time great Wildcat.

[Chicat]

Here is my far too early RAP Price* prediction for our opening game:

No Koloko
Azuolas Tubelis $18
Dalen Terry $17
Pelle Larsson $15
Kerr Kriisa $14
Oumar Ballo $13
Adama Bal $10
Dylan Anderson $6
Shane Nowell $4

W/Koloko
Christian Koloko $20
Azuolas Tubelis $17
Dalen Terry $16
Pelle Larsson $15
Kerr Kriisa $15
Oumar Ballo $11
Adama Bal $8
Dylan Anderson $3
Shane Nowell $3


*For those that don’t play RAP, a player gets 1 point for every point, assist, rebound, block, & steal and loses 1 point for every turnover. The price next to their name is a prediction of their point total for that upcoming game and you have $50 to put together your roster. If they outperform their price, that’s good. Underperform = bad.

I figure everyone else gets to put out a predictive metric, why can’t I?

[Merkin]

Here's the thing about RJ. He took comparable numbers of threes as a freshman and sophomore and actually shot a significantly better % than Terry (36% as a freshman, 42% as a soph vs DT's 32% and 36%).

True, but the 3 point line has been moved further out twice since RJ was in college, so not really a fair comparison.

And why Steve Kerr's record will never be broken.

However, I do remember RJ going through some offensive woes, and Lute convinced him to focus on defense, so he would then stop thinking so much about offense and eventually his offensive game would return which it did.

[Postmaster]

I still see DT more like Solomon Hill.
Does a lot of the dirty work.
Needs to get a more consistent shot.
Work on handles in the paint.

[Postmaster]

Re: the Bileass post.
Could someone explain how widening the lane affects the game?
Let’s exclude free throw situation.
During my regular game play it’s just arbitrary tape on floor.
I guess 3 second call but those are pretty rare.

[Chicat]

Maybe the 3 second call is rare because the lane is too skinny

[Jefe]

So what are the practice rules now in the offseason? Cant have any organized practices but they can work individually with players?

[Spaceman Spiff]

Re: the Bileass post.
Could someone explain how widening the lane affects the game?
Let’s exclude free throw situation.
During my regular game play it’s just arbitrary tape on floor.
I guess 3 second call but those are pretty rare.

The wider the lane, the more teams have to emphasize movement and sets that clear the lane. This in turn means emphasis on spread spacing and pulling bigger players away from the rim, which creates more driving lanes.

[azcat49]

Need to add defensive three seconds as well

[Postmaster]

Re: the Bileass post.
Could someone explain how widening the lane affects the game?
Let’s exclude free throw situation.
During my regular game play it’s just arbitrary tape on floor.
I guess 3 second call but those are pretty rare.

The wider the lane, the more teams have to emphasize movement and sets that clear the lane. This in turn means emphasis on spread spacing and pulling bigger players away from the rim, which creates more driving lanes.

Sorry, still don’t get how the size of lane does this? Or is this based off of 3 second rule?

What stops you from doing this spacing and movement now?

[Postmaster]

Need to add defensive three seconds as well

Isn’t defense 3 second rule there to prevent zone defense?

[MountainCat]

Spiff put it nicely: RJ was a dunk contest guy. He probably had a 40" vertical, or higher. Terry is very athletic too, but not as bouncy and explosive as RJ.

As far as shooting, RJ took a little while to get his shot, but once he did, he was off and running. He was a good long and mid range shooter in college and the pros. I haven't seen that kind of shooting versatility from Terry yet, but he's still quite young.

I like the comparisons of DT with Luke, and also with Iggy. These are Swiss army knife players: they can do almost anything.

He had a 44 inch vertical

[Beachcat97]

Spiff put it nicely: RJ was a dunk contest guy. He probably had a 40" vertical, or higher. Terry is very athletic too, but not as bouncy and explosive as RJ.

As far as shooting, RJ took a little while to get his shot, but once he did, he was off and running. He was a good long and mid range shooter in college and the pros. I haven't seen that kind of shooting versatility from Terry yet, but he's still quite young.

I like the comparisons of DT with Luke, and also with Iggy. These are Swiss army knife players: they can do almost anything.

He had a 44 inch vertical

Yeah, that's nuts. Our pantheon of next-level leapers: RJ, Iggy, Hassan, Rawle, AG, Mathurin, D-Will, RHJ...who am I forgetting? I think Sean Elliott could get up pretty high in his younger years.

[TheCat]

Nick Johnson

[KaibabKat]

Gary Harrison - a guard from the Snowden years that jumped center to start games.

[Beachcat97]

Nick Johnson

Totally. NJ could get up. Was always a little surprising to me he couldn't stick in the NBA.

[Chicat]

Never saw anyone jump like Hassan. He was listed at 6’4” and wasn’t close to that and yet he still played minutes at the PF in smaller lineups. Just an insane athlete.

[84Cat]

Gary Harrison - a guard from the Snowden years that jumped center to start games.

If we are going back to the Snowden days, Herman Harris could get up. I remember seeing him play semi-pro volleyball and he could jump like crazy

[Beachcat97]

Never saw anyone jump like Hassan. He was listed at 6’4” and wasn’t close to that and yet he still played minutes at the PF in smaller lineups. Just an insane athlete.

Another guy I expected to do better as a pro. Think he had injury issues. Man was he good at AZ, though.

[84Cat]

Chase Budinger

[Beachcat97]

Chase Budinger

Can't believe I forgot Chase. Yeah, I mean the guy plays pro beach volleyball. Chase is bouncy.

As a way of steering this back towards the thread's topic, I wonder who next year's best leaper might be. Feels like that's one area we'll be significantly worse next year.

[AzCatFan2]

Reggie Geary and Michael Dickerson. Geary was just over 6' tall and could block shots from guys almost a foot taller. Poor shooting and injury issues stopped Geary from a long NBA career.

Dickerson was a good leaper, not great, but was maybe the quickest player ever at Arizona. Helped make him an elite defender. Too bad he got hurt when he was a pro, because he was putting up solid numbers. Not all-star numbers, but solid, starter numbers in the NBA.

[azcat49]

That 97 team was a very underrated defensive team. They held Carolina to 58 points and they had a host of NBA guys and if Kansas had not got done turnovers they might have been in the 60’s as well

[Postmaster]

Did you know that NJ was related to Jack Rabbit Johnson and Chase B. played volleyball?

[SabinoDrifter]

Re: the Bileass post.
Could someone explain how widening the lane affects the game?
Let’s exclude free throw situation.
During my regular game play it’s just arbitrary tape on floor.
I guess 3 second call but those are pretty rare.

The wider the lane, the more teams have to emphasize movement and sets that clear the lane. This in turn means emphasis on spread spacing and pulling bigger players away from the rim, which creates more driving lanes.

Sorry, still don’t get how the size of lane does this? Or is this based off of 3 second rule?

What stops you from doing this spacing and movement now?

It forces teams like Villanova to play a completely different style of offense than they play today. The wider the lane, the harder is it for a guard to post up while clearing space on the other side of the floor, it limits back to the basket offense where the ball can stagnant and use up a lot of the shot clock, etc. Spacing isn't important in college basketball and it's immensely important in the NBA and internationally.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Re: the Bileass post.
Could someone explain how widening the lane affects the game?
Let’s exclude free throw situation.
During my regular game play it’s just arbitrary tape on floor.
I guess 3 second call but those are pretty rare.

The wider the lane, the more teams have to emphasize movement and sets that clear the lane. This in turn means emphasis on spread spacing and pulling bigger players away from the rim, which creates more driving lanes.

Sorry, still don’t get how the size of lane does this? Or is this based off of 3 second rule?

What stops you from doing this spacing and movement now?

Yes, the threat of a 3 second violation would lead to fewer stationary postups, that's the theory.

Nothing stops teams from doing this now, but it cuts back to a discussion this board has had a lot, efficiency vs eye test. Miller's offense here wasn't spaced in the more pro style, where it's an emphasis, but it was usually pretty efficient. I recently had the same debate about Kentucky's "archaic" sets vs their offensive efficiency.

In the same way pace doesn't correlate to championships, a spaced offense emphasizing a clear lane doesn't necessarily breed efficiency. Sabino raises Villanova...a lot of teams produce fairly efficient offenses these days without emphasizing clearing the lane.

Even Lloyd at Arizona...a wider lane would have made it significantly harder to play Koloko and Ballo together.

[dmjcat]

Key dates for declaring for the draft, withdrawing from the draft, etc.

And I presume that the NCAA/IARP will finally get their act together and whack us sometime before the season starts.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-draft-2022 ... 26703.html

[Beachcat97]

Key dates for declaring for the draft, withdrawing from the draft, etc.

And I presume that the NCAA/IARP will finally get their act together and whack us sometime before the season starts.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-draft-2022 ... 26703.html

Whatever whacking it may be, I don't expect any postseason ban, given what's happened with other equally egregious offenders, and given that we already self-imposed a ban in '21.

I expect scholarship reductions for a year or two.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Key dates for declaring for the draft, withdrawing from the draft, etc.

And I presume that the NCAA/IARP will finally get their act together and whack us sometime before the season starts.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-draft-2022 ... 26703.html

Whatever whacking it may be, I don't expect any postseason ban, given what's happened with other equally egregious offenders, and given that we already self-imposed a ban in '21.

I expect scholarship reductions for a year or two.

We'll see. If the IARP had a sense of humor, they'd drop their Kansas decision today.

[Irish27]

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... gs-2022-23

This is another ranking that can fluctuate wildly in the coming weeks. For now, we're assuming Bennedict Mathurin is certainly gone, while Christian Koloko and Jalen Terry are also projected to be picked in ESPN's latest mock draft. If Tommy Lloyd loses all three players, this ranking might look a little high. If either Koloko or Terry returns, then we could see the Wildcats rise. Arizona was clearly not the same team without a fully healthy Kerr Kriisa, but he and Pelle Larsson should form a quality backcourt -- while Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo will continue to give Arizona a size advantage over most teams up front. The question is on the wing, where Adama Bal could be poised for a huge step forward.

[RondaeShimmy]

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... gs-2022-23

This is another ranking that can fluctuate wildly in the coming weeks. For now, we're assuming Bennedict Mathurin is certainly gone, while Christian Koloko and Jalen Terry are also projected to be picked in ESPN's latest mock draft. If Tommy Lloyd loses all three players, this ranking might look a little high. If either Koloko or Terry returns, then we could see the Wildcats rise. Arizona was clearly not the same team without a fully healthy Kerr Kriisa, but he and Pelle Larsson should form a quality backcourt -- while Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo will continue to give Arizona a size advantage over most teams up front. The question is on the wing, where Adama Bal could be poised for a huge step forward.

Wouldn't mind losing Jalen to the draft, been a black hole for this team the whole time.

[Chicat]

That Jalen guy never got me a single point in RAP. Adios!

[RondaeShimmy]

https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/C ... 185731882/

N°8

https://www.aarontorresonline.com/post/ ... 023-season

N°5


https://www.si.com/college/2022/04/05/n ... s-kentucky

N°9

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-ba ... 8772mosjhq

N°13

https://watchstadium.com/jeff-goodmans- ... 4-04-2022/

N°9

[RondaeShimmy]

This is a great lineup of teams. Very curious as to who will still be on the team as upperclassmen when this rolls around.

Arkansas is the n°1 team in all the early rankings, Creighton is also top 10 team too. Going to be a good field.

[Irish27]

[YoDeFoe]

That's so dumb

[UAEebs86]

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... gs-2022-23

This is another ranking that can fluctuate wildly in the coming weeks. For now, we're assuming Bennedict Mathurin is certainly gone, while Christian Koloko and Jalen Terry are also projected to be picked in ESPN's latest mock draft. If Tommy Lloyd loses all three players, this ranking might look a little high. If either Koloko or Terry returns, then we could see the Wildcats rise. Arizona was clearly not the same team without a fully healthy Kerr Kriisa, but he and Pelle Larsson should form a quality backcourt -- while Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo will continue to give Arizona a size advantage over most teams up front. The question is on the wing, where Adama Bal could be poised for a huge step forward.

Wouldn't mind losing Jalen to the draft, been a black hole for this team the whole time.

[Beachcat97]

Can’t really do the 2022-23 rankings until we know for certain what the rosters look like. Few decisions will be as significant as CK’s.

[Spaceman Spiff]

That's so dumb

That's as clickbaity as headlines get, given we also have the third worst odds of the ranked teams. You know what's hilarious...I thought it was too early for us, then realized Kansas has the best odds to win, but might be banned from the tourney next year.

Caesars Sportsbook favorites to win 2023 NCAA Tournament

Kansas +1000
Gonzaga +1200
Kentucky +1500
Arizona +1500
Duke +1500
Arkansas +1600
Houston +1800
UCLA +1800
North Carolina +1800
Baylor +1800

[Beachcat97]

Is Timme staying at Gonzaga?
Are Ju-clang and Jaquez staying at ucla?
How about Sharpe at UK?
Akinjo is leaving Baylor.

[RondaeShimmy]

https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/C ... 185731882/

N°8

https://www.aarontorresonline.com/post/ ... 023-season

N°5


https://www.si.com/college/2022/04/05/n ... s-kentucky

N°9

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-ba ... 8772mosjhq

N°13

https://watchstadium.com/jeff-goodmans- ... 4-04-2022/

N°9

https://collegehoopstoday.com/index.php ... n-edition/

N°15

https://theathletic.com/3230369/2022/04 ... r-2022-23/

https://heatcheckcbb.com/college-basket ... r-2022-23/

N°9

https://www.cbssports.com/college-baske ... -25-and-1/

N°11

[AzCatFan2]

Latest draft projections all have Benn as a lottery pick. He's gone. This projection, from the NBA, has Koloko as the 1st pick in the 2nd round. (https://nbadraftroom.com/p/2022-nba-mock-draft/). If Koloko is at his peak draft position, then he's likely gone too, unless he wants to graduate. Maybe Koloko can work his way next year into a guaranteed first rounder? But maybe not, especially given he'll be 3 or 4 years older than many other guys in the draft. The more time goes by, it looks like Koloko entering the draft now is his best decision.

No mention of Terry anywhere I can find on mock draft boards. On his NBA draft profile, DT is listed as mid to late second round if he were to declare this year (https://nbadraftroom.com/dalen-terry/). But unlike Koloko, Terry absolutely can improve his draft stock with one more year. The biggest difference between DT and Benn is about 15 pounds of muscle. Benn already has a NBA body. DT still needs more if he is going to bang with the professionals. Benn also shot 38% from 3 this past year, and Terry 36%. Not much of a difference, but with Benn gone, there will be more shots available, and if Terry can hit 38% or better, and average 12 ppg, that makes Terry a potential lottery pick next year.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Latest draft projections all have Benn as a lottery pick. He's gone. This projection, from the NBA, has Koloko as the 1st pick in the 2nd round. (https://nbadraftroom.com/p/2022-nba-mock-draft/). If Koloko is at his peak draft position, then he's likely gone too, unless he wants to graduate. Maybe Koloko can work his way next year into a guaranteed first rounder? But maybe not, especially given he'll be 3 or 4 years older than many other guys in the draft. The more time goes by, it looks like Koloko entering the draft now is his best decision.

No mention of Terry anywhere I can find on mock draft boards. On his NBA draft profile, DT is listed as mid to late second round if he were to declare this year (https://nbadraftroom.com/dalen-terry/). But unlike Koloko, Terry absolutely can improve his draft stock with one more year. The biggest difference between DT and Benn is about 15 pounds of muscle. Benn already has a NBA body. DT still needs more if he is going to bang with the professionals. Benn also shot 38% from 3 this past year, and Terry 36%. Not much of a difference, but with Benn gone, there will be more shots available, and if Terry can hit 38% or better, and average 12 ppg, that makes Terry a potential lottery pick next year.

I don't see Dalen as a lottery guy ever. I'd tell him to model on Solomon Hill's skills and career path. If he has an NBA future, it's that role, for the same reasons I don't ever see him being lottery.

Benn has to go. Koloko should, not to dredge that argument up.

[AzCatFan2]

Latest draft projections all have Benn as a lottery pick. He's gone. This projection, from the NBA, has Koloko as the 1st pick in the 2nd round. (https://nbadraftroom.com/p/2022-nba-mock-draft/). If Koloko is at his peak draft position, then he's likely gone too, unless he wants to graduate. Maybe Koloko can work his way next year into a guaranteed first rounder? But maybe not, especially given he'll be 3 or 4 years older than many other guys in the draft. The more time goes by, it looks like Koloko entering the draft now is his best decision.

No mention of Terry anywhere I can find on mock draft boards. On his NBA draft profile, DT is listed as mid to late second round if he were to declare this year (https://nbadraftroom.com/dalen-terry/). But unlike Koloko, Terry absolutely can improve his draft stock with one more year. The biggest difference between DT and Benn is about 15 pounds of muscle. Benn already has a NBA body. DT still needs more if he is going to bang with the professionals. Benn also shot 38% from 3 this past year, and Terry 36%. Not much of a difference, but with Benn gone, there will be more shots available, and if Terry can hit 38% or better, and average 12 ppg, that makes Terry a potential lottery pick next year.

I don't see Dalen as a lottery guy ever. I'd tell him to model on Solomon Hill's skills and career path. If he has an NBA future, it's that role, for the same reasons I don't ever see him being lottery.

Benn has to go. Koloko should, not to dredge that argument up.

Both Solo and RHJ went in the 20s. But Iggy went 9th, and I see Dalen more like Igoudala than Hill or Hollis-Jefferson. Hill and RHJ don't have DT's length or quickness. And if DT can put on the muscle and look more like Iggy, who is listed at 6' 6" and 215, the interest in Terry will rise. Iggy only averaged 12.9 ppg his final year in Tucson, but his defense and length made him a lottery pick. Don't see Terry going top 10, but late lottery is a possibility if he adds more muscle, and 4-5 ppg while shooting close to 40% from the outside.

Agreed Koloko should go. The only thing that might hold him is a desire to get a degree. Which he can do on the road in the NBA just as easily as he can in Tucson.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Latest draft projections all have Benn as a lottery pick. He's gone. This projection, from the NBA, has Koloko as the 1st pick in the 2nd round. (https://nbadraftroom.com/p/2022-nba-mock-draft/). If Koloko is at his peak draft position, then he's likely gone too, unless he wants to graduate. Maybe Koloko can work his way next year into a guaranteed first rounder? But maybe not, especially given he'll be 3 or 4 years older than many other guys in the draft. The more time goes by, it looks like Koloko entering the draft now is his best decision.

No mention of Terry anywhere I can find on mock draft boards. On his NBA draft profile, DT is listed as mid to late second round if he were to declare this year (https://nbadraftroom.com/dalen-terry/). But unlike Koloko, Terry absolutely can improve his draft stock with one more year. The biggest difference between DT and Benn is about 15 pounds of muscle. Benn already has a NBA body. DT still needs more if he is going to bang with the professionals. Benn also shot 38% from 3 this past year, and Terry 36%. Not much of a difference, but with Benn gone, there will be more shots available, and if Terry can hit 38% or better, and average 12 ppg, that makes Terry a potential lottery pick next year.

I don't see Dalen as a lottery guy ever. I'd tell him to model on Solomon Hill's skills and career path. If he has an NBA future, it's that role, for the same reasons I don't ever see him being lottery.

Benn has to go. Koloko should, not to dredge that argument up.

Both Solo and RHJ went in the 20s. But Iggy went 9th, and I see Dalen more like Igoudala than Hill or Hollis-Jefferson. Hill and RHJ don't have DT's length or quickness. And if DT can put on the muscle and look more like Iggy, who is listed at 6' 6" and 215, the interest in Terry will rise. Iggy only averaged 12.9 ppg his final year in Tucson, but his defense and length made him a lottery pick. Don't see Terry going top 10, but late lottery is a possibility if he adds more muscle, and 4-5 ppg while shooting close to 40% from the outside.

Agreed Koloko should go. The only thing that might hold him is a desire to get a degree. Which he can do on the road in the NBA just as easily as he can in Tucson.

What? RHJ had a 7'2 wingspan at the combine and was 2nd overall in the 3/4 court sprint and 3rd overall in the lane agility drill. RHJ had elite speed and agility numbers that I (and I know a lot of people disagree) don't see Dalen being close to.

I compare Dalen to Solo in major part because both are well rounded players who aren't outstanding athletes.